Tears in My Eyes… But What Can I Do?
I just finished seeing a client, a (G1P0+⁰) Gravida 1, Para 0 + 0 woman. Hehehe… I just mean a woman who’s pregnant for the very first time.
She came in just now with complaints, and after examining her, I made a diagnosis of latent phase of labour.
This is a woman who has been faithful with her antenatal visits, a woman who listened to every advice her doctors gave, yet today, she is denied the care of those same doctors because of the government’s inaction.
You never truly understand the impact of what’s happening until it comes close to you and that is why our leaders do not care because they will easily fly themselves or relatives out of the country for medical related issues should they have any even before the strike.
I was left in tears as she complained bitterly, saying she didn’t register for antenatal care in any other hospital. And now, because of the ongoing strike, I can’t help her, since we’re not admitting patients.
This is her first pregnancy. She is scared.
And honestly… I am too on her behalf..
We keep on fighting against maternal mortality and by the government's inactions, they keep on increasing the rate.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has been on strike for 17 days now.
Can you imagine that? Seventeen whole days — the bedrock of healthcare in the country has been on strike, and yet there is still no conclusive discussion about calling it off.
But Why Are They on Strike?
It’s easy to point fingers and say,
“Doctors are no longer dedicated… they only care about money.”
But that’s far from the truth.
The WHO-recommended doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:600, but in Nigeria, do you know what we’re working with?
1:4000… sometimes worse.
That means one doctor attends to thousands of patients, with little or no rest, inadequate pay, and poor working conditions.
Imagine a hospital that employs Ten doctors.
Six leave for better opportunities abroad.
Now the remaining Four doctors must do the work of ten, without any increase in remuneration.
And when one of those Four burns out or collapses from exhaustion, the system just carries on, indifferent, like nothing happened.
We’ve seen young doctors faint, collapse, even die while on duty;in the very place where they are meant to save lives.
Healers, lost in the place of healing.
What a tragedy.
I can’t even begin to describe how shabby our healthcare system has become, or how shameful it is that something big enough to be a national emergency is being treated like a minor issue.
May God help us all.
Because right now… we really need it.
This Post Was Published at exactly 2:45AM
All Pictures Are Screenshot from NARD forum
Thanks for reading and have a nice day ahead 👍